The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1887-05-05
PARTISAN cHLoRoFoRM1srs.
Rascals that Infest Railway Coaches
and Make Travelling Dangerous
From the Philadelphia Telegraph.

From the Philadelphia Telegraph.
The chloroformists, as they are called, are
the aristocracy of the criminal race. They
are generally broken down society men, and
very often medical students who have gone
to the bad after having learned, in the
course of their studies, the properties of
narcotics and anesthetics Their chief fields
of operation are the railway carriages and
the hotels, the compartment system of the
former giving them every facility for car
rying out their designs. Their method of
proceeding in the last instance is as follows:
He seeks what is technically known as his
portfolio" 4. C., a rich traveller, who
affords profitable opportunities for the ex-
ercise of his skill. He goes to look for him
at the railway station of one of the long
lines, such as the Paris, Lyons and Medi-
teITanean road He watches each person
that approaches the ticket office to buy
ticket and selects some one who shows, on
opening his pocketbook, a goodly collection
of bank notes. The chloroformist buys a
ticket for the same destination takes seat
in the same compartment, gets into CONVEX
sation with his fellow traveller, and finally
ends by producing a well-filled lunch basket.
He was to have been accompanied by
friend, he says, but at the last moment he
received telegram (Which he produces an
nouncing that the friend had been hindered
from departing at the last moment. That
is why be has a supplyof provisions for two
persons, two silver cups, etc. He offers to
share his supper with his new acquaintance.
If the offer is accepted, the wine, which is
heavily drugged, soon sends the traveller to
sleep IT, on the contrary, it is refused, the
chloroformist partalles heartily of solitary
meal, and winds up by lighting a cigar,
offering at the same time his cigar case to
hn IN rude orr
churlish in the presence of such genial
friendliness, almost invariably accepts a
cigar. 1t is prepared" with a strong
narcotic, as the wine had been, and the I'M
lucky traveller is soon plunged i'll heavy
stupor. The chloroformiSt opens his vial
and places it for a few moments under the
nostrilS of the sleeper, gently applying to
the mouth at the same time sheet OF fine
parchment, known as the 'stif1er" and hav-
ing the shape of a carnival mask, its func-
ton being the exclusion of the outer air.
The victim is soon rendered wholly insensi-
BILE by the vapor of the chlOroform The
thief then commences operations in perfect
safety. He takes possession of the pocket
book and empties it of its bank notes, re-
placing few of the smallest value He then
puts it back in the pocket from which he
has taken it, removes the parchment mask
from the face of the sleeper, and, leaving
the victims jewelry and coined money I'M
touched, gets out of the train at the next
station. The motive of leaving his victim
in possession of his jcwelry and portmonnaie
is tWO-fO!d. If the traveller on awakening,
finds that his watch and chain and, his sup
ply of coin are all right, he does not usually
investigate his pocketbook, so the theft has
"a chance of remaining undiscovered for
several hours or even days. He may, too,
attribute the loss of his bank notes to a
piece of careleSSneSS, or to a mistake on his
own part. If, on the other hand, as often
happens, he does not wake at all, but dies
from the effects of the narcotic and the
chloroform, the authorities, finding them
selves in the presence of a corpse presenting
not the slightest trace of violence, and with
money, papers, and valuables apparently
undisturbed, can only attribute the decease
to natural causes 1t is a startling fact that
cases of sudden death in the cars of the great
French railways have of late become
singularly frequent.
A comical example of the use of narcotized
cigars is related by M. Mace. A well-known
banker of German origin was arrested for
forgery and was imprisoned in Mazas. His
former friends tried in vain to obtain his
pardon, but after a months Imprisonment
he contrived to make his escape, and has
ever since managed to evade the researches
of the police. In fact he had slipped
through their fingers in so adroit a fashion
'IIldU UDe Clever SGdllp ucotINGu
his liberty. During the examination of his
books and papers two policemen Were
charged with the task of bringing the
prisoner from Mazas to the Office of the ex-
pert and Of guarding him while there. The
ex-banller was accustomed to partake dur
ing his stay at the olfice, of a sumptuous
lunch, which was brought to him III basket
daily by one of his former servants. He
often offered to share his delicacies with the
policemen, but they always refused to
accept SO much as the wing of a chicken or
glass of wine They were less infexible,
however, in regard to the fine cigars that
the prisoner always smoked, and during the
return trip, which usually took place at or
s o'clock in the evening, they were accus-
toned to accept from him each a cigar.
One evening the cab as usual drew up at the
gates of the prison, but nobody got out.
The cabman descended from his box to see
what was the matter, and was greatly sur
prised to find only two passengers in his cab
instead of three, and those two so sound
asleep that be could not waken them. The
perfidious banker had given them narcotized
cigars, and had profited by their slumber to
slip out of the cab and to make his escape.
The affair was hushed up and the agents in
the escape of the criminal were never dis
covered